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Monday, May 1, 2017

In 2010 Taylor joined in whole-heartedly with our Carolina on My Pate program. Among the itinerary events was shrimp and grit-ing, pizza-making, portrait painting, and Anathoth garden cooking. Even then Taylor had a certain style. I would recognize her sweet smile anywhere!!!

Here's where she is now!

"Since C’est si Bon, I have graduated from Wake Forest in 2016 with a degree in Art History. I currently work at an auction house in Hillsborough. In September, I am moving to London to attend graduate school and get my masters in Art History. After school, I am hoping to be a museum curator specializing in Renaissance and Baroque art. Cooking and baking in particular, are still a huge part of my life. Although not part of my current career aspirations, I love coming home and being able to cook something delicious."

Keep up with Taylor's scene by following her blog posts on Lefty Living Life, including a recent and very special trip to Rome to visit an art exhibition featuring an artist who greatly influenced her thesis!

"I love hot tea, good books, puppies and kittens, chocolate- who am I kidding...sweets in general, and Netflix. I also have an obsession with pink, high heels, and hats."

Lefty started as a creative outlet for me. It has continued to be that, but has also grown to be much more. I think that style and fashion are a reflection of your personality. I have always been interested in fashion, but that doesn't mean it's always easy for me to find something to wear that shows who I am.

The name comes from the fact that I am left-handed. Most people don't think about being right-handed or left-handed, but I have always identified very strongly as left-handed. It has become an important part of who I am and now it is an important part of this blog.

I hope you enjoy my adventures as much as I do. XO"

We do Taylor! And looking back at your entry essay, so many ingredients are already in place. Italy, culture, and cheese for one, or er, three!

Taylor's essay from 2010

The main benefit of cooking in another culture is learning about the culture that you are cooking in. Cooking is a big part of the culture of an area so when you cook in another culture, you are immersing yourself in the culture and learning about that culture. The cooking of a culture reflects that culture and the people who are a part of that culture and by cooking in it; you become a part of that culture. For example, the people in Italy eat lots of pasta and cheese.

Taylor and Grace, 2010

If you look at these foods as reflecting the culture, then you could say that the pasta represents the warm weather and the warm natures of the people because pasta is warm. You can say that the cheese shows the diversity because there are lots of different people just like there are lots of different cheeses.

Another main benefit of cooking in another culture is that not only do you immerse yourself in a different culture; you are also learning how to cook in a different way. Every culture is different which means that every culture has a different way of cooking. When you cook in another culture, you learn how the people of that culture cook. This helps the chef to learn more about a culture and also learn more about cooking in general.

With Grace and Emily at Anathoth Community Garden

The benefits of cooking in another culture are similar to the benefits of going to another country; you learn about how different people live and in this case cook. Through this experience, you also learn more about yourself because you learn about other people and possibly look inside and see something that you wouldn’t have seen before.

Taylor shows off her work of art at Miel Bon-Bon in Durham!

We can't wait to see where your art journey takes you next....

"I've included this chocolate cupcake recipe which is one of my favorite desserts and has been something I have loved since I was a kid. My mom got the recipe from her college roommate’s mom who would send these to them in college. They are simple and delicious. My favorite part is the chocolate chips inside. They are an unexpected crunch and add the perfect texture to the inside of the cupcakes."

Monday, April 3, 2017

Take Europe by storm by canoeing water ways and learning how to craft traditional Spanish and French cuisine on this summer adventure. See how to sign up for one of the last remaining spots on our Taste the Adventure for teens trip!

Thanks for joining the continuing series on our Teen-Chef Alumni and discover Where Are They Now? I invite you to catch up on Nora, Elijah, Maya, Jonathan, Cary, and GraceAs well as learn more about my son, Erick, co-leader and instructor of our very talented Summer Taste Team!

Please meet another member of the C'est si Bon! Team of whom we are very fond, Jeremy Salamon!

Between
2007 and 2012 in June and July, Jeremy Salamon would fly up from Boca Raton to the
cool climate of North Carolina to assist with kid-chef classes. Jeremy was fond
of contemplating the day with a cup of coffee sitting at the cherry wood kitchen
table in the house at C’est si Bon! He loved watching the birds fly to and from
the feeder and likened them to the kid-chefs who would be arriving in less than
an hour. And as I write this post on this morning in April, there’s a tweeting
and fluttering at the front door. A bright red male and dusty brown female cardinal
perch on the straw wreath building a nest. They fly back to the bird feeder at
the white oak tree. And just like the parents driving to Brace Lane to drop off
their of kids for feeding at the summer classes, so I feel a pang of gratitude
not only for the generations of yellow finches, woodpeckers, bluebirds, and
simple wrens who have raised their babies around the cooking school in the last
20 years, but for Jeremy, who returned and returned and who I felt honored that C'est si Bon! and this kitchen and garden could nourish him a little, and in the same way as my own two sons, Erick and Jaryd. But like in the best of all life, the tables turn, and so it is that he nourishes me and the continuing work at C'est si Bon!

Twelve
years ago on a Sunday in late June I pulled into the long driveway at Fickle
Creek Farm. There were cars already lining the driveway and I saw Jeremy calmly
pulling his suitcase. We said hello. I had talked at length with his Momma,
Robin, on the phone from Boca Raton about the week and how much Jeremy was
looking forward to it. His Poppa, Jeff, smiled when we toured the barn. The
teens claimed their spaces and got settled. I saw concern and doubt on Robin’s
face all rolled up in a hush puppy moment. I wouldn’t see them again until Friday
night and the Gumbo Mumbo Feast when parents returned.

Jeremy
wrote this essay as part of the application process. He was twelve at the time.

“I have loved cooking for as long as I
can remember and my dream is to one day become a chef. My mom and Nana are
great cooks and have learned a lot from them. I have created dishes with
mussels and clams as well as Rack of Lamb among many other dishes. I even baked
a 3-layer anniversary cake for my parents made with fondant.

I enjoy eating at fine restaurants and
trying new dishes. Each time I eat out I imagine one day owning my own
restaurant and creating my own dishes.

I have taken classes at the Florida
Culinary Institute and Rivets Gastronomic cooking school and camp. My hope is
to attend West Boca High School, which is a magnet school for students with
culinary interest.

My grandparents have a summer home in
Banner Elk, N.C. and I have been visiting them almost every summer. I like the
mountains and the cooler temperatures. I look forward to staying on a farm as
it will be a great experience. I hope to learn new things about the whole
culinary process. Not just cooking but how to get fresh ingredients, how to buy
and maybe how to have my own business.

Thank
you for this opportunity.”

And Jeremy has realized
his dream of becoming a chef, and is now pursuing another dream with fond, his very special series of pop-up dinners in NYC in April and May. Dinners with compelling & revisioned food of his Hungarian ancestry.

That year, 2007, at Carolina On My Plate when we returned to Fickle Creek, sometimes there was a
stray chicken on the second floor of the barn. We giggled at owls and ghost
stories as the stars came out. The temps were unheard of cool for that time of
year. Our alarm clock was the pink sherbet light streaking across the sky and the
sound of the feeder banging open and closed as the pigs went about getting
breakfast.

Jeremy was good company during all of the weeks adventures, and became curiouser and curiouser. At the end of our program he
stood up at the Gumbo Mumbo Feast, and thanked me for braving the same
conditions they did. I was like, what? Who’s kidding who? I felt incredibly lucky
and grateful to have witnessed all the movements and changes of the week. How we had
all grown from being nervous and scared to being at home with each other, and
cooked up a week of amazing memories and mousse. And without air conditioning.

During
the years Jeremy was at C'est si Bon!, I got to see him transform. Like a recipe or a dish that was shared, he worked with a synchronicity to feed our turkey poults, turkey and
lurkey, and also to glaze the gargantuan turkey legs from Cliff’s meat
market for the welcoming dinner and the food styling workshop the first night
of Carolina On My Plate, now transformed into Taste the Adventure in North Carolina.

Since 2012 Jeremy
has attended the CIA and worked in NYC restaurants such as Prune, Loconda Verde,
Buvette, and most recently was Executive Sous at the Eddy in the East Village.

During the
years before he graduated high school he competed for Junior Chef with the ACF in
Atlanta. He interviewed Giada and Jamie for his blog. Then the day of his
graduation flew out to Arkansas to be a guest teen chef on the Great Food Truck
race with Tyler.

Jeremy is still Hungary. Hungary for change.

A few weeks ago he called me one morning from Paris burbling about his very much long awaited visit to his homeland, Hungary, where he foraged with family, explored his heritage cuisine and ate a wealth of salami and pickles, and discovered that the essence of Hungarian cuisine comes from the very challenges it has endured; war and poverty and is on the verge of some very cool explosions that may not be entirely goulash. But they are based on his love of simplicity and vegetables.

“If my
family came to this dinner they might not recognize the dishes. I’m trying to
follow what the younger generation of Hungarians are doing.”

And so was
born his latest project, fond, but which has been in the works for some time. Probably centuries! Jeremy is recrafting his
family legacy into dishes utilizing NY’s bounty of spring produce. You can learn more by visiting his website, fond. He is working with Chef Daniel Storck to launch these dinners.

“Announcing our first Pop-Up
date: Monday, April 24th 2017 – at Brooklyn dessert bar, Butter &
Scotch will be our home for the evening. Join us for New Hungarian fare, plus
inspired desserts and cocktails courtesy of @drunkbakers . Further details will
be posted as we get closer. Stay tuned. Artwork by the wickedly talented Emma
Louthan.

The charming West Village bistro, Wall Flower NYC, will
be our home for the evening of Tuesday, May 9th 2017. Expect new Hungarian fare
including wild mushroom goulash & rose sugared Lángos! Tickets and full
menu to be announced. This tasteful garden is brought to you by Emma Louthan

Mark your calendars! Our trilogy of dinners ends with a
feast - Saturday, May 20th 2017: We'll be offering up a ticketed prix fixe menu
in this intimate and rustic East Williamsburg spot @fitzbk . Athena Bochanis of
@palinkerie wines will also be joining us for a unique Hungarian wine paired
option. Further details to be announced! Plus check out our newly refurbished
site by the brilliant Emma Louthan.”

Just in! Kerry Drew interviewed Jeremy for the next installment of #TheDish on @fox5ny!

If you are
in NY you do not want to miss this!! Visit fond soon for the menus! You can follow him on Instagram @jeremycooksof@fondnyc

But if you
do, you can visit Jeremy when he returns to teach kid-chefs this summer at C'est si Bon! We are
thrilled to have him return, and to again spend a
quiet moment at the cherry kitchen table.

Jeremys Langos, Fried Potato Bread with Garlic and Honey

(yield 20 small fritters)

Ingredients

- 490 grams Yukon - Gold Potato, peeled / cubed

- 1 Tablespoon instant yeast

-2 teaspoon sugar

-1 cup warm milk

-3 Tablespoon extra
virgin olive oil

-1.5 teaspoon salt

-2 cups 00 flour

-1 quart canola oil,
for frying

-Salt, for seasoning

Method

Submerge
the potato in a small pot of cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until potato
is fork tender (about 10 minutes). Drain the water and while still hot puree (
or mash ) the potato until smooth. Let cool.

In
the meantime, stir the yeast and sugar into the warmed milk. Let the yeast
bubble and foam. Preferably in a food processor (or by hand), stream the milk
mixture, olive oil, and salt into the cooled potato. Pulse the flour in 1 cup at
a time until the mixture has formed a semi-sticky ball. Let rest in a large
oiled bowl in a warm area of the kitchen (about 1-2 hours).

In
a medium heavy bottomed pot, begin to heat the oil until it registers 350F on a
candy/oil thermometer.

By
now the dough will be big and fluffy. Punch it down and with oiled hands scoop
out on to a floured surface. Knead the dough ever so gently until it comes
together once more. To form the Langos, pinch a tablespoon sized ball from the
dough. Working from the center pinch with your finger tips to the edges. You
want a thin tiny saucer (there’s no right or wrong here).

Working
in batches, carefully fry each piece until golden brown. 1-2 minutes per side.
Drain on a paper bag or towel and
immediately season with salt.

Langos
is typically brushed with garlic oil and topped with grated cheese. Be
creative! Try tossing in flavored sugar and serving alongside jam!

Friday, March 24, 2017

Thanks for joining the continuing series on our Teen-Chef Alumni and discover Where Are They Now? I invite you to catch up on Nora, Elijah, Maya, Jonathan, and Cary. As well as learn more about Erick, co-leader and instructor of our very talented Summer Taste Team!

Grace takes her joy of cooking with her wherever she goes!

"At its root, cooking is a joyous act of love and service that is incredibly rewarding--especially when shared with others. It is also a bit of everything: a way to commemorate past traditions and a way to explore the world, a science and an art, ancient and modern, and commonplace yet extraordinary."

Grace Lutfy in DC

I am excited to share Grace's story with you!Grace Lutfy was the first teen to arrive at RDU airport for
Carolina on My Plate that summer. Her curiosity led her from Michigan to search out this
experience, and as she went through the week, she gained comfort in a new kitchen, and all the kitchens we worked in. Whether at Fickle Creek Farm, Anathoth Community Gardens, the Carrboro Farmer's Market, Sunshine Lavender Farms or at C'est si Bon! But the kitchen was a place that Grace already loved, and where she had a strong family food and cooking
connection that stretches over the Mediterranean. And still does.

This was her essay:"I
think the life benefits of knowing how to cook are… numerous. Knowing how to
cook is a valuable skill that many people are taking for granted lately. It is
a rarity now, with all of the new fast food chains springing up along with the
overextension of people trying to do too many things at once. Food and the meal
have lost their importance in modern-day society, so learning how to be a good
cook would empower me and strengthen me because I could be set apart from the
rest of society and be able to raise myself on my own, without depending on
restaurants and other people to feed me.

Another
benefit that learning how to cook has to offer is that if I was to learn how to
cook well, I could teach others and those others could teach more people, and
so on. It is a tool that allows people to be creative, have fun, enjoy
themselves, and learn new things about the world around them. It can
familiarize people with different cultures around the world and bring people
together. It can change people’s lifestyles and encourage others to try new
things and go outside of their comfort zone.

I
love food and all of the variety it has to offer. Once these benefits are put
to use, I’ll feel stronger and more independent. The life benefits of learning
how to cook are too numerous to count, and I would love to learn how to cook to
better the lives of myself and others around me."

And so where is Grace today? Here's where!

I graduated from the University of Michigan last year and
received a BA in Public Policy with a focus in international security—or
international relations and national security issues. Through my program, I was
able to study multiple languages, various regions around the world, the
challenges we face, and ways to solve them. I was even able to travel to Greece
and take a course about the Anthropology of Food and the Mediterranean Diet.
Now, I am in Washington, DC, looking for work in my field and keeping my
passions for cooking and food alive. Luckily, it isn’t hard when there is so
much to learn, new recipes and techniques to try, and amazing restaurants in
the area for exploring new flavors!

I aspire to better understand the world’s history, people,
cultures, and movements. My experiences and studies have allowed me to learn so
much about these things and more easily connect with any person I meet. Aside
from all of this, they have also led me to learn more about myself, my family,
my culture, and my history as a Chaldean, Lebanese, and Syrian Detroiter. On an
everyday basis, I would say meaningful interactions give me a sense of
satisfaction—whether it is helping someone, meeting someone new, talking to an
old friend, keeping up with family, cooking for and with others, or sharing a
meal. No matter where the future takes me, I know I will have my love for
cooking and food. I always have, and I always will.

Grace was recently
in Sicily with her mom and sister, who lives there, and they took a
pasta-making class at a local pasta shop.

Grace and her sister, Katrina, in Sicily, cracking a few eggs in the name of pasta!

Grace contributing to the ricotta and spinach filling for the tortellini!

Grace's sister, Katrina.

Katrina and Grace's mom, Michelle, with Guiseppe and Andree.

Katrina, Grace and Michelle, with their Italian instructors, Guiseppe and Andree, holding "certificates" after completing the class.

Grace says, "Class was very tasty and very fun!" Merci, Grace for spending time with us again. We can't wait to see where you are headed, but where you are is a delicious place. Now who will be next? Join us for the next post on our Teen-Chef Alumni.

this tortellini is from the C’est si
Bon! recipe vaults of 2003, when we made a lot of pasta dishes in the school.
Long before the whole no carb low carb no gluten craze.

pasta is still very satisfying.
but if you are on a no gluten diet, you might try making little bundles with collards or swiss chard.

filling:

4 shallots, finely chopped

1 large handful fresh spinach, shredded

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ tsp. dried or 1 tsp. fresh oregano and thyme,
chopped fine

1/2 pound whole or part-skim ricotta

1 t. pine nuts, chopped

3 tablespoon fresh grated parmesan cheese

sauté the shallots, garlic and spinach in the olive
oil, add in the ricotta, the chopped pine nuts, and the parmesan.

store in the refrigerator until ready to roll.

pasta:

3-4 cups unbleached all purpose flour

4 eggs

1 tablespoon olive oil

sauce:

2 tablespoon each olive oil and butter

1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced

½ bulb of fennel, coarsely chopped

3 cups fresh mushrooms, your choice, coarsely
chopped

1-2 tablespoons flour

1/4 cup each fresh parsley, sage, rosemary, and
thyme, chopped

½ cup red wine or ¼ cup red wine or balsamic
vinegar

1 –2 cups chicken or veg stock

in a heavy pot heat the oil over medium
heat. add the onions, then the garlic, the fennel, and the herbs. sauté
these, stirring and tossing, for 7-8 minutes, or until softened. remove to a bowl and reserve. add the butter to the pan, and saute the mushrooms. add the flour
and stir till incorporated, then deglaze with the wine or vinegar, scaring up
any browned bits of vegetables. add the reserved garlic mixture and the stock and bring to a boil. taste ad season with salt and pepper. simmer for
30 minutes.

making pasta:

to make the pasta without the aid of a food
processor, mound the flour on a smooth work surface. make a well in the center of the flour and
break the eggs into it. (remove the
shells, please!) add a generous pinch of
the salt and the olive oil. with one
hand gradually incorporate the flour from around the edge of the well into the
eggs, stirring with your fingers to form a doughy batter. use the other hand to support the edge of the
flour well and prevent the eggs from flowing out. continue incorporating the flour until the
batter feels fairly stiff but still pliable.
if it still feels too soft, work in a bit more flour, until the needed
consistency is reached. i truly believe its easier to make pasta this way
because you can control the amount of flour and get a better consistency.

rolling pasta:

divide the dough into fist-size portions. when you're ready to roll, flatten this
portion slightly, and fully open the rollers.
flour the flattened dough and pass it between the rollers. fold the rolled sheet into thirds and turn it
90 degrees before passing it through again.
repeat the folding, flouring, and rolling process four or five times,
until the dough is smooth. reduce the
setting by one notch and pass the dough through again. continue taking the
machine down a notch until the pasta sheet is thin enough to see your hand
through when held up to the light. now
you're ready to get the tortellini in shape.

shaping tortellini:

use
a 3" inch biscuit cutter or a well-floured rim of an upside down glass to
stamp out circles from the sheet of dough.
in the center of the circles, place a teaspoon of the filling. using a
small pastry brush or your fingers, moisten the edge with water. fold the
circle of dough in half and press the edges to seal them and form a half moon
shape. you can stop here, or go on to
make tortellini. grasp each half moon,
fold up the lower sealed edge to form a cuff, and pinch these curled ends together at the same time to make the
familiar tortellini shape. set these aside on a lightly floured surface or
sheet pan to dry a little before cooking, maybe half an hour. usually this is no problem, as you roll more,
the first ones dry as you become knee deep in tortellini, then as you begin to
cook them, the last ones have a chance to dry.

cooking tortellini:

bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add
the stuffed pasta, and cook al dente, about five minutes. drain and serve with your chosen sauce.

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

I peeked at the lemon tree, and thought I had picked them all, but then saw it. One little lemon left. What should we do with it? The care and feeding of C'est si Bon! Cooking School involves more than testing recipes, keeping the kitchen up and running, and unfrozen in the winter, and shopping for ingredients for classes. As with any small business there's the inside part; a web-site, and daily emails, and social media. I do think sometimes its hard to see all of the parts, if its shady or sunny, or a tree is down. It's always changing which is a good thing, and a challenge too. And then there's the outside part of the farm that is C'est si Bon! Each chapter enjoys its own story; of work, joy, and transformation.

There's weeding and caring for our garden. It will soon be time to harvest the collards which are doing great. And with that harvest comes the weeding and readying the beds for summer. There's the daily feeding of 5 hens, who are down from 10 hens ~ no thanks to a possum ~ but now that possum has been dispatched. There is watering and soaking and harvesting shitake mushroom logs, and the occasional take down of a white oak or sweet gum tree that has passed on, and yet might make a good fertile ground for new mushroom logs. One of the winter joys is the care of a lemon, key lime, and a bay laurel tree that we roll in and out from the back deck into the tv room. Carefully.

Our Lemon Tree.

Limoncello in the making.

Our lemon tree has a long history. I bought it on a whim one year for my husband, Rich's, birthday from a nearby garden shop in Carrboro, Southern States.Rich wasted not a moment in taking the little tree under his wing to nurture and grow. This involved measuring the soil, its composition, temperature, content, and soon a water schedule was set up, as well as an occasional pollination schedule of the sweet flowers in February with a q-tip. When its sunny and warm as it was last week, the tree gets rolled outside.

Over the years the tree has spread and been moved to new and bigger pots, and sometimes, in the winter, under ultra-violet growing lights of a spectrum and color. (Can you tell I am on the outside of the details?) As Chapel Hill is in a freeze right now, the trees are rolled in, and huddle together in the entertainment room! We're lucky to have the ability to bring our lemon trees inside. Like many of of the farm operations around here, this rolling rigmarole has transformed. It used to be a bit of a disaster as it required coordination with neighbors and friends, and strapping on of weight-lifting belts so there could be groaning and lifting of heavy pots. Pots that grew larger every year.

All of his care has resulted in a bounty of lemons which are a real sensory pleasure to hold. The thin-skinned Meyer Lemons leave their sweet scent on your fingers. This year we had family over to pick!

The Limoncello Begun.

Cousins, Picking and Peeling Lemons.

We've used the lemons in every way; salty and sweet, and in a lamb dish we love, for when winter is still hanging on. There is one lemon left on the tree. What should we do with it? Send me your ideas! Sweet Lemon Curd from C’est si Bon! Wouldn't it be loverly to keep a supply of half-pint jars of this wonderful stuff on hand to bring out at the mere mention of company for brunch? It's great for miniature tarts, as a spread for just-baked muffins, between cookies or on the tip of your finger.

makes 2 half pints

6 egg yolks 1 cup sugar 3 meyer lemons, juiced (you should get a generous 1/2 cup. make sure to strain it, to ensure you get all the seeds) zest from the juiced lemons 1 stick of unsalted butter, cut into chunks

in a small, heavy bottom pot over medium heat, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. add the lemon juice and zest and switch to stirring with a wooden spoon, so as not to aerate the curd.

stir continually for 10-15 minutes, adjusting the heat as you go to ensure that it does not boil.

your curd is done when it has thickened and coats the back of the spoon. when you determine that it's finished, drop in the butter and stir until melted.

pour the curd into two prepared half pint jars, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. if you want to process them for shelf stability, process them in a boiling water canner for 20 minutes (start the time when the water returns to a boil).

Salty Moroccan Preserved Lemons – from David Lebowitz

Preserving Lemons

Stuffing with Salt

Preserved Lemons

12 lemons6-8 bay leaves4 cayenne peppersscrub the lemons with a vegetable brush and dry them off.cut off the little rounded bit at the stem end if there’s a hard little piece of the stem attached. from the other end of the lemon, make a large cut by slicing lengthwise downward, stopping about 1-inch (3 cm) from the bottom, then making another downward slice, so you’ve incised the lemon with an x shape.

pack coarse salt into the lemon where you made the incisions. don’t be skimpy with the salt: use about 1 tablespoon per lemon.

put the salt-filled lemons in a clean, large glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. add a few coriander seeds, a bay leaf, a dried chili, and a cinnamon stick if you want. (or a combination of any of them.)

press the lemons very firmly in the jar to get the juices flowing. cover and let stand overnight.

the next day do the same, pressing the lemons down, encouraging them to release more juice as they start to soften. repeat for a 2-3 days until the lemons are completely covered with liquid. if your lemons aren’t too juicy, add more freshly-squeezed lemon juice until they are submerged, as I generally have to do.

after one month, when the preserved lemons are soft, they’re ready to use. store the lemons in the refrigerator, where they’ll keep for at least 6 months. rinse before using to remove excess salt.

to use: remove lemons from the liquid and rinse. split in half and scrape out the pulp. slice the lemon peels into thin strips or cut into small dices. you may wish to press the pulp through a sieve to obtain the tasty juice, which can be used for flavoring as well, then discard the innards.

for the lamb:heat your oven to 350. and when hot, add the coconut oil to a medium cast iron pan and set in the oven to melt and get hot.

meanwhile on a cutting board rub your lamb shoulder with pepper and the crushed fennel seed. then massage in the berebere spices.

place it in the pan on top of the tangerines. roast in the oven for 30 minutes. pull out and deglaze with the chicken stock and lemon. tightly cover with aluminum foil and return to the oven.

turn the oven down to 325 degrees f and roast for 4 hours - it's done if you can pull the meat apart easily with 2 forks.

for the vegetables:remove the lamb from the oven and place it on a chopping board. cover it with foil, then a kitchen towel, and leave it to rest. add the potatoes, onions, and greens to the cast iron pan. return to the oven for 30 minutes.

when done, remove the pan from the oven and put on the stovetop on medium heat. using a slotted spoon remove the vegetables to a bowl and cover with foil to keep warm.

for the sauce:mix stock and flour. add stock mixture to the pan, stirring and scraping the bottom to incorporate any drippings. add the capers, turn heat down and simmer till thickened to desired consistency. taste for seasoning. serve.